Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas from peat



selecting and treating the peat.

J.B. HYDE, on NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT {N THE MANUFACTURE OF lLLUMlNATlNG-GAS FROM PEAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent no"; 43,585, dated July 19, 1864; antedated July 18, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-knowu that I, J. B. HYDE, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New J ersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas from Peat and Certain Uarbonaceous or Oily Matters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof.

The natureof my invention consists in distilling dried peaty matters with coal-oil, petroleum, or mineral oil by mixing or combining thesame previous to placing them in the re torts, or by distilling the peat and fluidsimultaneously, but separately placed in the retort.

Many Varieties of peaty material will (when thoroughly dried) yield, on proper distillation, good illuminating-gas; but such drying requires artificial heat, and the process is slow. Besides, dried peat will rapidly absorb moistare from the air. Hence gas from peat usually contains an excess of hydrogen, and of varying quality, unless great care is observed in I therefore enrich this gas by the addition of the mineral oil, which, in the process of distillation, will combine its gas with the excess of hydrogen from the peat, and result in increased quality and quantity of gas. I dry the peat as thoroughly as possible in the air, and then grind or otherwisereduce it to .proper fineness, to facilitate its admixture with the fluid carbon and to induce rapid and uniform distillation. I then mix the fluid carbon thoroughly with this pulverized peat and in proportions according to the quality of the peat, when I place the mixture in a sheet-iron case made to fit theinside of the retort, and provided with a cover to close the contents (when the case is withdrawn from the retort) from the air, and thus preserve thecarbon 5 or the peaty matter may be placed separatelyfrom the oil in the retort, and the oilplaced in the retort in a proper vessel,or allowed to enter the retort gradually from an outside vessel.

I claim- Preparing, treating, and distilling dried peaty matter with hydrocarbon oils for the manufacture of illuminating-gas, substantially as described.

J. B. HYDE.

Witnesses G. 0. HYDE, I. I. MACDONALD. 

